In 2015, Comox Valley residents voted to adopt a bylaw to address, and hopefully eradicate homelessness in the Comox Valley.

Bylaw No. 389 funded what was initially a five-year action plan to address homelessness in the Comox Valley. At the tax rate of two cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the owner of a residential property assessed at $600,000 would pay $12 per year.

Eight years later, homelessness has at least doubled in the Comox Valley.

Whatever plan was put in place through this bylaw is clearly not working.

Why?

It depends who you ask. Some of those in charge won鈥檛 even answer.

Case in point, our MLA.

Ronna-Rae Leonard submitted an op-ed in August, stating the need for a permanent shelter in the Comox Valley, titled It鈥檚 time for a permanent shelter in our community.

I chose not to run the op-ed. We all know we need a permanent shelter - we鈥檝e needed one for years.

鈥淲e are working hard with BC Housing鈥︹�� says nothing. We鈥檝e heard all that before, from every level of government.

When I offered Ronna-Rae the opportunity to discuss the subject in more detail, I was turned down.

First, she said the topic was not for her to address, but for the ministry.

(So why offer an op-ed?)

When I reiterated that I was interested in specifically discussing the local issue, wanting to get past the 鈥淲e are working hard鈥� vernacular and steer the conversation more towards 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 we have it yet? What are the barriers?鈥� the response I got from her team was sadly, not overly surprising.

鈥淭hanks again for the offer to interview Ronna-Rae about the need for a permanent shelter and delve deeper into the issue! Unfortunately, she won鈥檛 be available for an interview on this, but if anything changes and we have an opportunity to work together to set up an interview on this issue or another issue of local concern, I鈥檒l be sure to reach out to you!鈥�

There鈥檚 the first problem. We have an MLA in our constituency who is part of the party in power, and she is not willing to speak to her constituents about the problems in her community.

Now, Ronna-Rae Leonard is not the only one at fault here. We get the same deflections at every level.

鈥淲e are working hard,鈥� seems to be the de facto response.

That鈥檚鈥� nice. But working hard, and working effectively are two very different topics.

We consistently hear that the issue of homelessness must be tackled by all three levels of government working together.

Let鈥檚 look at those three levels of government.

Federally, the Liberals have been in power since 2015. Provincially, the NDP has held the reins since 2017. In Courtenay, the mayor and council have been virtually the same for five years - with the exception of one councillor losing his seat in 2022.

The political scene has been as stable as it has ever been. And yet, nothing substantial is getting done.

What are the solutions? That鈥檚 not for me to determine. That鈥檚 up to our elected officials. And from what I have seen in the nearly 10 years since my arrival, there is a distinct lack of proposed solutions, despite millions of dollars being spent on the issue.

Stop with the empty promises and fix the problem. That鈥檚 what we pay you for, and that鈥檚 what we want to hear: solutions.

Terry Farrell is the editor of the Comox Valley Record